Sports

Clooney-Quin 2-15 Sixmilebridge 2-6 History was made at Cusack Park this Friday evening when Clooney-Quin won the under 14 A Clare hurling championship for the first time, beating a fancied Sixmilebridge team in the process. On their way to winning the Clare feile na nGael title two weeks ago, Sixmilebridge had pipped Clooney-Quin and they went into this evening’s final carrying the favourites tag. Clooney-Quin took control from the start and raced into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead before Sixmilebridge opened their account. The winners, however, dictated matters and led 0-8 to 0-1 with just nine minutes played. Sixmilebridge received a great boost in the twentieth minute when David Kennedy struck for a goal but within a minute Clooney-Quin had replied with a like score from their full forward Shane Harrisson and they went on to lead by nine points at half time when the score was 1-10 to 1-1. The winners had the first score of the second half …

Getting people with a disability to be active in sport is the main reason behind the setting up of Banner Spokes, which has organised an open day on this Saturday at St Joseph’s GAA Club in Gurteen, from 10am to 1.30pm. According to committee PRO Simon Whelan, “We want to get a club formed that will be for everybody. It’s super fun and we want to get a mix of able bodied and less able bodied people taking part. It’s not about winning, it’s about taking part and recreation”. Simon’s son Evan, who is 17, is in a wheelchair and he “is mad into sport”. “Up to this, he has had to go to Limerick to play wheelchair hurling and basketball. He is keen to get a club set up in Clare and we are extending an open invitation to all to come along on Saturday to Gurteen. Our aims at this stage are two-fold, to set up the club …

Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-13 THE Clare footballers didn’t match the heights of their league form but they did just enough to edge past Limerick and into a Munster semi-final meeting with Kerry in Killarney in two weeks time. The game was played a pedestrian pace but Clare’s greater scoring spread eventually divided the teams. A minute into injury time Limerick’s Danny Neville reduced the deficit to just two points, 0-15 to 0-13 but a minute later Clare’s Jamie Malone put over his sides and the games final score. Limerick did mount a last attack but Joe Hayes was very solid under dropping ball which had been delivered by Peter Nash. Following a very poor first half, in the sides kicked 13 wides between them, Clare led 0-5 to 0-4. Substitute Podge Collins, who replaced the injured Cathal O’Connor in the 33rd minute, kicked Clare a point ahead in first half injury time. Limerick edged the first ten minutes in terms …

CLARE will be seeking their third successive championship win over Limerick when the ball is thrown in at 2pm in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. If the teams’ respective league displays are an accurate barometer, Clare will start as warm favourites. Four league wins were enough to secure promotion to Division 2, while Limerick were relegated to Division 4. When they met in their league tie in Newcastle West, Clare won 1-14 to 0-11, which followed their 0-15 to 0-13 championship win over Limerick in Ennis last May. Clare also defeated the Shannonsiders when they met in the 2012 Munster championship at the Gaelic Grounds, playing exceptionally well in the first half, although they faded badly in the second period. This weekend’s game will be the 39th Munster championship meeting between the counties with Clare winning 23 of those fixtures. Limerick won just a single championship game between the counties from 1909 to 1980, when they met 19 times. Five …

A SHANNON couple have contacted Gearóid Ó Maoilmhichíl, the GAA national children’s officer in Croke Park, in relation to an incident involving their son at an underage game in Clare last August. In a tournament organised by the gardaí, Seán and Valerie O’Callaghan allege that their then 13-year-old son was hit by an adult, following an altercation between him and an opposing player. The altercation involving the two players led to their son receiving a red card, which the parents say they have no issue with. “Our son got a red card. As he was walking away, a man ran onto the pitch and punched my son in the back of the head and hit him in the eye. Kyle was on the ground. Gardaí and parents then went onto the pitch,” Mrs O’Callaghan explained. Their son later received medical treatment following the incident. The matter was referred by gardaí to the DPP, who confirmed about six weeks ago that …

County hurling champions Sixmilebridge or last year’s beaten finalists Kilmaley will be in the relegation play offs this season. That’s the big talking point amongst hurling fans this evening after they were drawn to face each other in round two of the championship. Both suffered defeat in the opening rounds two weeks ago when there were a number of surprise results. Whichever side loses will be one of four that will then battle it out to determine who will drop down to intermediate grade for next season. The full draw is as follows Losers section; A—Tulla v Inagh-Kilnamona; B-Ballyea v Newmarket; C-Cratloe v Whitegate; D-Kilmaley v Sixmilebridge. The losers of these games will be out of the championship race and will proceed to play off to determine who will be relegated while the four winners will go on to play in the third round seeking to get into the competition quarter finals Winners section; A- Eire Og v Clarecastle; B-Wolfe …

THE death took place last weekend of legendary Irish golfer, Christy O’Connor Senior, who was 91. The West of Ireland native had a long association with Lahinch, where he won the Irish Professionals Championship in 1961. On that occasion he returned rounds of 67, 68, 74 and 71 to win by 11 shots. The championship was played on the last day of August and the first day of September that year and Michael Walsh, a long-time steward at Lahinch and winner of the Munster boys title in 1955, caddied for O’Connor. Christy Senior was a great friend of the legendary Lahinch golfer, the late John Burke and also of long-time Lahinch secretary, the late Brud Slattery. Over the years, he made many visits to the club and regularly played with the former club professional, Robert McCavery. Christy Senior also regularly played at Lahinch with his nephew, the late Christy O’Connor Junior, an honorary life member at Lahinch. Christy Junior won …

A monument to Michael Cusack is to be erected in Ennis at the home of Clare GAA. Planning permission has been granted to the Clare County Board to install a statue over 2m high at the entrance to Cusack Park depicting Michael Cusack. Drawings submitted to the planning authority show that as well as depicting Michael Cusack himself, there are also plans to feature images relating to the GAA, such as a hurley, sliotar, football and GAA symbol on the statue. The total height of the planned monument will be 2.44m, including the plinth. No submissions were received by the planning authority in relation to the application. During the application process, the planning office raised concerns about the possibility of “ad hoc” development and the need for a design concept for the overall entrance area. According to the planner’s report, “There is no objection in principle to the provision of sculpture at various locations in the town. Indeed, such pieces …